Commission approves 2022 Buy Green report highlighting low paper compliance amid supply issues

The San Francisco Environment Commission unanimously approved the department's annual municipal Buy Green report for calendar year 2022. The report, presented Dec. 4 by Shobha Iyer, toxic reduction environmental specialist and Buy Green program manager, and Valerie Bynes, summarized city department purchasing compliance with environmentally preferable purchasing rules.

Valerie Bynes said compliance varied by product: white copy paper purchases that must contain 100% post‑consumer recycled content had roughly 15% compliance on about $450,000 in spending; a separate "other paper" category (colored copy paper, stationary, photo paper) showed about 26% compliance on roughly $30,000 in spending; by contrast, lighting purchases (LEDs) showed about 70% compliance across city departments. Bynes attributed much of the decline in paper compliance to ongoing supply‑chain disruptions and noted a local recycled‑pulp mill fire in October reduced availability.

"By regulation, compliant purchases of white copy paper specifically need to contain 100% post‑consumer recycled content," Bynes said, adding that supply issues likely explain low compliance rates throughout 2022.

Iyer described the program's mandates under the Environment Code and the resource conservation ordinance and said the report and underlying Buy Green dashboard are available online. Commissioners asked whether the downward trend represents a structural problem; Bynes said the prior analysis from 2020 showed much higher compliance (92% for white copy paper), and that 2022's decline appears driven mainly by market constraints.

Commissioner Gabe Sullivan moved to approve the Buy Green report; Commissioner Bermejo seconded. The clerk conducted a roll call; President Ahn and Commissioners Bermejo, Hunter, Sullivan, Tompkins and Yuan voted aye. The motion passed unanimously.

The commission recorded no amendments to the report at the meeting and directed staff to continue outreach to departments to identify procurement barriers and to maintain the Buy Green dashboard for public access.